Chapter 3: Xiuxiu (Part 2)

In his previous life, he conducted research suggesting that family farms were the best option there. Isn't a family farm essentially a self-sufficient farm? Yet, he ended up in the Song Dynasty, which is in dire need of self-sufficient farmers. Hmm, our Song Dynasty is a rare dynasty in Chinese history that did not suppress the practice of farming. Is this retribution?

Xu Ping ultimately abandoned that project and initiated a new one focused on the miniaturization of agricultural machinery for mountainous regions, assisting the former stationmaster in evaluating his professional title. What he never expected was that the county leaders had someone revise his paper, altered the data, changed the conclusions, and published it under their own name

The peanuts have long since become very dry, making them difficult to chew, with a faint hint of sweetness. To be honest, raw peanuts have little flavor; what lingers in memory is the aroma of roasted peanuts.

Xu Ping rubbed his eyes, preparing to wash his face. As he turned his head, he discovered Xiu Xiu sitting at the door

He truly wants to assist the former stationmaster, working even harder than on his graduation thesis, with the chosen topic being the optimal operating area and methods for agriculture in their region

Ah! How do I stir-fry? Xiu Xiu looked completely bewildered

Xu Ping put the peanuts into his mouth; they were raw and tasted no different from those of his previous life

"How could that be?" Xu Ping replied casually

Xiu Xiu did not know what Xu Ping was thinking. Seeing him lost in thought and no longer touching the items in his hands, she awkwardly wrapped the floral cloth and said softly, "So it turns out you are just teasing me. How could a gentleman like you possibly enjoy the food of a poor family like mine?"

If one is not yet accustomed to frying food, peanuts can indeed be considered a snack for the lower classes. Raw peanuts lack flavor and require shelling, which is too much trouble for the nobility.

Their industry experienced a significant regression for twenty years starting from the 1980s, a period during which the old station masters were in their prime. It is easy to imagine that the old station masters were filled with grievances. Those who are full of complaints tend to have a bad temper, and a bad temper does not endear them to their superiors, thus creating a vicious cycle

The old webmaster is a vocational school graduate from a special period, with an eccentric personality and a rigid approach to work. However, his decades of practical work experience have imparted a great deal of knowledge to Xu Ping, and the two have maintained a relatively harmonious relationship.

His thoughts were in a tangle. Could it be that there is a passage to a past life in this world? Otherwise, how could he have arrived here? And how could there be crops from a previous life?

The sun has just bounced up from below the horizon, emitting a reddish glow that is not glaring

Xu Ping's previous profession was agricultural machinery, with a master's degree. After graduation, he joined an agricultural machinery station in a small mountainous county, working as an ordinary civil servant. The staff at the agricultural machinery station was very few. Even after arriving in this world, Xu Ping could not figure out how many people were officially assigned to his unit; in any case, the only ones working were him and an old stationmaster, as he had not seen anyone else come to work at the station.

He finally came to understand. The so-called anxiety is merely the forbidden desires hidden deep within the heart. So what if he has crossed into a new world? Should he rampage through it, rise to power, and embark on a brilliant and glorious life? In his previous life, he was just an insignificant person; how can he be certain that he is the chosen one in this world?

She sat on the steps, leaning against the corner, her whole body curled up, sleeping soundly. That small, old cloth bundle was held tightly in her arms.

As she spoke, her eyes began to redden slightly

Xu Pingcai suddenly remembered the current year and the era of the picture book. The brilliant and unparalleled Chinese culinary techniques of later generations were just beginning to mature, and it would take another one or two hundred years to reach the peak of Chinese cuisine. Although the concept of stir-frying has emerged, most of the time it is actually pan-frying. Correspondingly, the cooking oils are very rudimentary; not to mention the use of peanut oil, even the most common soybean oil has not yet developed, and what is mostly used now is sesame oil.

"How can this be? I am but a servant," Xiuxiu said

Ke Xiuxiu did not come to work for the Xu family; she has already been sold by her own parents

This thought ultimately proved to be in vain

As the first ray of sunlight streamed in on the morning, Xu Ping opened his eyes

Xu Ping shook his head

Xiu Xiu did not notice Xu Ping's expression, placed the bundle on the ground, and held out the peanuts in front of Xu Ping: "They are very delicious, you should try some."

Xiu Xiu stared blankly at Xu Ping, not understanding what he meant. After a while, she quietly said: "Actually, I still have some at home..."

That night, Xu Ping felt drowsy and could hardly remember how the conversation with Xiu Xiu had ended. He returned to bed in a daze, plagued by various nightmares

Uncertain of the dream she had, her expression was both helpless and fearful, with two teardrops hanging in her eyes, and only the tightly pressed corners of her mouth revealed a hint of stubbornness

Although the work is somewhat tiring, Xu Ping's enthusiasm remains high, as it is not easy to find a stable job that aligns with one's professional expertise

Xu Ping looked at the peanuts held in Xiu Xiu's hands and sighed heavily in his heart. This world is certainly not the Song Dynasty of his previous life; so where is this place? These peanuts undoubtedly come from the world of his past life. It is well known that the domestication and improvement of varieties involve too many coincidences. Even using the same original species, different worlds would not produce the same cultivated varieties.

Xu Ping could no longer listen, only thinking about the sudden appearance of peanuts in this world. Would other crops also appear? Where did they come from? Would there be others like himself who came from that world?

Getting out of bed, Xu Ping yawned and walked out of the room

After speaking, he returned the outer garment to Xu Ping and dashed out.

This matter has become Xu Ping's nightmare

Later, this matter came to the attention of the county leader in charge of agriculture, who insisted on adding his name. This was not a problem, as multiple authors can be listed on a paper, and maintaining a good relationship with the leadership is also very important. However, after reviewing the paper, that leader called him over and insisted on changing the conclusion, citing lofty reasons. Did he not know that the country is promoting land transfer? Did he not know that the future of agriculture lies in large-scale mechanization? Scientific research must adapt to the prevailing trends; how can one go against the historical tide?

It is well known that China is vast and its environment is particularly complex, encompassing nearly all agricultural environments in the world. With a large population, ensuring food production is an inevitable choice. The evaluation metric used is also grain yield per unit area, leading to the conclusion that the optimal management model is family farms, with the ideal operational area being around 200 acres. As technology advances, this area may expand. This is a reasonable conclusion; they are located in mountainous regions with a dense population. Even in developed countries, apart from the sparsely populated regions of North America, South America, and Australia, Europe primarily relies on family farms.

Xu Ping's previous life was related to agriculture, and he had a good understanding of peanuts. Although there is a saying that China is one of the original production areas for peanuts, it is merely a statement and should not be taken seriously. Moreover, the peanuts that Xiuxiu has taken out now, not to mention Kaifeng during the Song Dynasty, even America during the Song Dynasty did not exist. This is clearly a result of long-term domestication and variety improvement, popular in the northern part of China in his previous life, specifically the Shandong large peanuts.

Xiu Xiu said: "This is the seed left at home. Our family is poor, and this is the best we have. I brought this little bit with me when I left home. You won't despise it, will you?"

Xiu Xiu suddenly said: "Oh dear, the sun has risen. The lady has instructed that the gentleman is to bring the meal back to eat, I must hurry or I will be late."

What should be done in the future

Although it was specifically mentioned later that different evaluation criteria, such as prioritizing economic benefits, would yield different results, it was not elaborated upon.

Xu Ping casually asked Xiu Xiu, "Why not fry them? Eating them raw lacks flavor, what a pity."

The old stationmaster is about to retire and hopes to be evaluated for a competent retirement benefit. To be promoted, one needs to have published papers, which is not the old stationmaster's forte. Xu Ping volunteered to take on this task.

Xu Ping stood there in a daze, as if he had returned to the past, seeing the young girls walking out of the mountains, coming to the city in search of a livelihood, and thus sleeping in the square of the train station

Ultimately, Xiuxiu is still a child of less than ten years old. Suddenly leaving her parents, she can no longer return home, how could she not feel anxious? She brought the peanuts from home as seeds, intending to leave a good impression on her host and to avoid suffering too much.

Xu Ping smiled and said, "Why are you sleeping outside? There are still vacant rooms in this courtyard; you can just tidy up and stay there."

Basking in the bright sunlight, Xu Ping took a deep breath. In fact, an ordinary life also holds ordinary pleasures. In this new world, why not continue his career? At the very least, his situation in this world is much better than in his previous life, with a prosperous family, doting parents, and a relatively relaxed social environment, along with a blank slate for his career prospects

Xu Ping's hands trembled as he gently picked up a single peanut, taking a long time to peel it open. Looking at the two familiar large peanuts inside the shell, Xu Ping's voice quivered: "Where did this come from? Why have I never seen it before?"

The morning dew still clung to the tips of her hair, shimmering with a myriad of colors under the sunlight

This matter profoundly educated Xu Ping on the nature of politics; what they seek is not correctness, but rather the recognition of the court, and the process in between is of little importance

When Xu Ping returned after washing his face, Xiu Xiu had already woken up, holding Xu Ping's outer garment, looking at him in a state of helplessness

Xu Ping suddenly woke up and snatched the floral cloth bag from Xiuxiu's hands, saying: "Give all of this to me, I have use for it"

Facing the sunlight, Xu Ping rubbed his eyes and suddenly smiled

Xiu Xiu chuckled softly, saying: "These are grown in my home! Sir, you come from a wealthy family, and peanuts are something that we poor people eat. It is not unusual for you not to have seen them."

Xu Ping was momentarily at a loss as to what to do. After thinking for a while, he returned to the room, took a coat, and gently draped it over Xiu Xiu.

Seeing Xiuxiu sleeping here, Xu Ping suddenly remembered that this little girl had been sent by her mother to take care of him, yet he had not arranged a place for her to stay

The morning sunlight illuminated her face, outlining golden edges on her dark hair. Her countenance was bright and almost translucent, radiating a sacred glow